U.P. Spring Wildlife

U.P. wildlife is out and active as Spring comes upon us in the Upper Peninsula.

It is Spring in the U.P. and despite the weather, we are seeing all kinds of wildlife out in the field. On a particular Saturday in mid April, I saw a number of grouse, deer, woodcock, ducks, geese, turkeys, and a rooster pheasant! Game seems to be relocating, migrating, and moving about to find mates or fresh food sources.

We’ve been seeing a pleasantly surprising number of grouse and woodcock this spring. This one in the photo above jumped up into view when I slowed to look at a property line. Without that movement, I would have never spotted it. From what I’ve seen of mature birds this winter and Spring, we should have a strong population this coming fall if the hatching season has good conditions.

Whitetail on Kelso Road

This whitetail doe gave us a chance to snap a few pics while browsing just off the Hilltop Kelso Road in Iron County. Spring in the U.P. brings fresh buds and green up that the deer seek out. This doe was feeding on regeneration in an old clearing just off the main road. We had several other deer sightings this day, but this was the only camera friendly encounter. The deer numbers in the U.P. seem to be higher this year than in recent memory. We’ve seen more live deer, highway kills, and sign in the woods than in recent years. Hopefully this will translate to a healthier herd going forward.

One of the great aspects of what we do is being outdoors throughout the seasons and enjoying the U.P. wildlife. While traveling to view new properties we cover much of the Upper Peninsula and are blessed with the opportunity to see the great variety of wildlife that the U.P. has to offer.